The Librarian Is In
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Dark, Light, & In Between
25 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We're swinging from heavy, major, important nonfiction to the frothiest and most delightful YA romance this week.
Attack of the Killer Spelling Bees
18 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Our annual spelling bee, words we can't pronounce, a trio of music recommendations, and of course what we're reading now.
Making Grown Men Cry, Since 2015
11 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sweet-sad poems, ghosts of the Village Past, and melancholy post-Victorian tales of ruined childhoods in creeepy cults... But we manage to have a litt...
Serving the Least Served
04 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Libraries and activism with Cory Eckert, one of the joint chiefs of Storytime Underground! We go in-depth on libraries as non-neutral spaces and how c...
American Passions
27 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The triumph and tragedy of Jim Thorpe, the difficulty of Henry James, and the ferocity of Emily Dickinson and Camille Paglia. Bonus: Barbra Streisand'...
"Hermione was Black. Dumbledore was Gay."
20 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The founders of Black Girls Create join us to talk about what it's like to be a black girl nerd, defaulting to whiteness in books and pop culture, ner...
Podcasting the Apocalypse
13 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We're going weekly! One week, Gwen and Frank will talk books, culture, and what to read next. On alternate weeks they'll welcome a very special gue...
What Lawyers and Librarians Have in Common
30 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Reena Glazer of the Pro Bono Institute joins Frank and Gwen to talk about lawyers in the library and recommendations for great nonfiction about pro bo...
Supermodel of the World: Sashay, Shauntee!
22 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
(Sorry! A previous version of this episode was buggy, but we fixed it. Take a listen, it's a good one!) Wait, Super Model? Absolutely, but also: S...
A Librarian's Path to Citizenship
02 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How do libraries help immigrants and underserved communities? Find out with NYPL's very own Adriana Blancarte-Hayward. Plus: major love for great jour...
Kilts, Cupcakes, and Romance Novels
16 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Frank and Gwen dive into two very different romance novels with NYPL librarians Annie Lin and Kate Fais. Plus: a super-clean podcast, a binge-watch-...
At Home and Abroad
02 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
With books on the Syrian refugee crisis and American "hillbilly" culture, Frank and Gwen are looking for a deeper undstanding of the world here at hom...
Lord of the Guys
19 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Overdue in NYC! Frank and Gwen welcome Andrew and Craig of the Overdue podcast for a deep dive into William Golding's 1954 classic, Lord of the Flies....
#ReadersUnite!
05 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Happy new year! Christopher Platt joins Gwen and Frank to talk about hate crimes, privacy and transparency, and how to start a revolution from your lo...
So Long, 2016
21 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our Very Special Holiday Mini-Episode! We talk about our families' book-giving traditions, Santa stress, and a few random gift suggestions.
Lots of Good Fun That Is Funny
08 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Children's librarian Louise Lareau joins Frank and Gwen to talk about NYPL's annual Best Books for Kids list and why you should say "underpants" durin...
Turkeys Strike Back
22 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Gwen and Frank are joined by Sarah Ball from NYPL's Correctional Services unit to talk about library services for people in jail or prison. Plus: what...
The Woman Behind the Curtain
27 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Lynn Lobash, manager of Readers Services, peels back the curtain how how to make great book recommendations—and puts Gwen and Frank to the recommend...
Halloween Comes Early
13 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
As fall sets in and Halloween approaches, things get a little creeeeeeepy in the studio as Frank and Gwen bravely welcome horror expert and YA librari...
Sixteen, Going on Seventeen
29 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Manga madness overtakes the podcast when Frank and Gwen are joined by YA librarian Chantalle Uzan. Plus: Love for Liesel... not so much for Lionel Shr...
Winnie-the-Podcast, Ep. 21
15 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo join Frank and Gwen in the studio this wee... just kidding. But we have the next best thing: Michael Inman, curator of ...
(Literary) Disco Dancing, Ep. 20
01 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Frank and Gwen are joined by Julia Pistell, co-host of the Literary Disco podcast! We play multiple rounds of guess-the-book, talk about whaling ships...
Hot Garbage, Summer in the City, Ep. 19
18 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Humidity can't exist in outer space! Beat the heat by blasting off into orbit with Frank and Gwen's brand-new segment. Plus: Do audiobooks "count" as ...
Frankster & The Veve: Ep. 18
04 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Up for some agony? Frank and Gwen chat about suffering in literature and movies, debate the gender politics of picture books, and hang out with one of...
One Bad Podcast: Ep. 17
21 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Gwen can barely contain herself this week when she and Frank are joined by Biz Ellis, one of the hosts of the One Bad Mother podcast, to talk kids and...
Hogwarts & Hollywood: Ep. 16
07 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It's the first-ever Reading Challenge episode! Gwen and Frank assigned books to each other to read and discuss on the air. Hijinks ensue...
Reading Us the (Book) Riot Act: Ep. 15
23 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Amanda Nelson, managing editor of Book Riot and host of BR's own book recommendation podcast, joins Frank and Gwen to discuss book recommendations. (W...
Take Me Back to Manhattan: Ep. 14
09 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Frank and Gwen keep it local this week, from a fashion show at Jefferson Market and Open Book Night with Mid-Manhattan's Elizabeth Waters to a great r...
Dame Margaret Comes to Town: Ep. 13
26 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Margaret H. Willison, a.k.a. The Coolest Funniest Pop-Culture-iest Librarian Ever, joins Gwen and Frank this week for the ultimate high/low-culture ep...
Closer to Fine: Ep. 12
12 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Along with Susen Shi from Mid-Manhattan Library, Frank and Gwen reveal their librarianship origin stories on this week's episode. Plus: Self-help book...
Raspberry Berets: Ep. 11
28 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Frank and Gwen turn the tables on NYPL's Jessica Strand this week, interviewing the host of Books at Noon about the coolest authors she's ever intervi...
Bros, Shakespeare, & Nudity... Not All at the Same Time: Ep. 10
14 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Doug Reside from NYPL’s Library for the Performing Arts joins Gwen and Frank to talk about the Bard and the Great White Way. He even raps a teeny ti...
What, Wait, What Happened!? Ep. 9 (Bonus Episode!)
07 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Gwen and Frank discuss books that defy description and throw reality for a loop. Longtime residents of Harlem, Greenwich Village, the Bronx, and more ...
Grace Jones and Spelling Bees: Ep. 8
31 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Who's ready to relive some traumatic moments from childhood?! We go toe-to-toe with the winner of the tri-library spelling bee: NYPL's very own Rob Ke...
All the Feels: Ep. 7
17 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Earnestness sets in when Singing Children's Librarian Emily Lazio joins us to talk about courage and encouragement, children's classics, and a cool ne...
Far Out, Friends! Ep. 6
03 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We're heading back to the '70s this week! Shola Lynch (of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture) joins us to talk about film, art, collec...
We Love Men! Ep. 5
18 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Taboo subjects in adult and children's books alike abound on our fifth episode. Plus, find out what makes a "rare book" rare with our very own rare bo...
The Podcast That Must Not Be Named, Ep. 4
04 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Go behind the scenes at BookOps, the Library's special secret spy agen— er, the "technical services" unit. Also: the Helen Ellis/Shirley Jackson/Ani...
#TeamEdith, Ep. 3
21 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about how to fit more reading into busy schedules, Lin-Manuel Miranda, horror books and movies, childhood favorites, David Bowie, Lin-Manuel M...
Cloning Clooney, Ep. 2
06 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about feminist comics, The Golden Girls, squids and snails, intellectualism, and -- yes -- cloning George Clooney. Plus Frank and Gwen are joi...
Introducing Ourselves: Ep. 1
23 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Hello, listeners! "The Librarian is In" is the New York Public Library's new podcast about books, culture, and what to read next. On this, the very ...